Fils-Aime: Wii Shortages Are Not Marketing Strategy

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has stated that, contrary to speculation, long queues at retail and widely-reported Wii shortages are not a marketing strategy, but a "highly unfortunate" circumstance. Fils-Aime suggested that the company may have been unprepared for "unprecedented demand" for the Wii. "...Anyone who suggests that a shortage is good for business really doesn’t understand business," Fils-Aime recently told MSNBC in an interview. He also said Nintendo is putting more than twice as many Wii consoles into the marketplace this year than at launch. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter recently predicted that Nintendo will sell 1.7 million Wiis during the the month of December, making it the top-selling console for the holiday season to come. Fils-Aime added, "We want the consumer to walk into any retail establishment and find the product. And that’s what we’re working tirelessly to make happen."